Dissassemblable fence made of plastics material

ABSTRACT

Hollow poles are provided in each wall with longitudinal slits leading into housings fixed to the inner surface of the wall. A positioning element is so inserted into the housing that its projection extends through the slot. A connection element is positioned on the projection and screwed to the positioning element whereby both the elements are fixed to the pole wall. The position of the connection element is angularly adjustable relative to the positioning element. The connection element has beads. A rail member having recesses is so fixed onto the connection element that the beads of the latter are accommodated in the recesses of the former.

United States Patent 1111 3,910,561

Fornells Oct. 7, 1975 [54] DISSASSEMBLABLE FENCE MADE OF 3,239,070 3/1966 Clauson 256/59 X PLASTICS MATERIAL 3,482,819 12/1969 Leurent 256/59 [76] I G lb tP F u 38 S db 1 3,592,493 7/1971 Goose 52/758 H nventor: I er orne s, rue ten a 75020 Paris, France FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 314,797 111969 S d .4 256 13.1 22 Filed: Apr. 3, 1974 I we I [21] Appl. No; 457,498 Primary Examiner-Dennis L. Taylor Attorney, Agent, or Firm-John J. Byrne; Edward E. D [30] Foreign Application Priority Data yson Apr. 4, 1973 France 73.12197 57 ABSTRACT l-lollow poles are provided in each wall with longitudi- [52] 256/65 5 34 nal slits leading into housings fixed to the inner sur- [51] Int Cl 2 E04" 17/14 face of the wall. A positioning element is so inserted [58] i 1 24 25 into the housing that its projection extends through 2 722 6265 5 i the slot. A connection element is positioned on the projection and screwed to the positioning element whereby both the elementsare fixed to the pole wall. [56] References Clted The position of the connection element is angularly I UNITED STATES PATENTS adjustable relative to thepositioning element. The 2,512,203 6/1950 Fluharty 256/59 UX connection element has beads. A rail member having 2,767,951 10/1956 Cousino 403/400 X recesses is so fixed onto the connection element that gl 2 4 Q the beads of the latter are accommodated in the reces- 1111161111311..." 1 3,156,450 11/1964 Thom 256/65 x 868 Ofthe former 3,182,963 5/1965 Thom 256/65 3 Claims, 11 Drawing Figures U.S. Patent Oct. 7,1975 Sheet 1 of4 3,910,561

US. Patent Oct. 7,1975 Sheet 2 of4 3,910,561

US. Patent Oct. 7,1975 Sheet 3 of4 3,910,561

US. Patent 0m. 7,1975 Sheet4 0f4 3,910,561

DISSASSEMBLABLE FENCE MADE OF PLASTICS MATERIAL The invention relates toa disassemblable fence made of plastics material intendedfor surrounding a plot of land, a park or any other space, with a barrier.

To construct fences, it is known to use supporting posts on which there are fixed, usually with the use of nails, cross-members or longitudinal rail members with a spacing preventing entry tothe interior of the plot, park or space thus enclosed.

When it is desired to modify the arrangement or the appearance of these fences either to reduce the spacing of the rail members constituting the fencing parts, or on the contrary for increasing the spacing, it is necessary to separate the members from the supporting posts to which they had been nailed and then re-fix them in the same way in the new position, which requires a considerable amount of work and involves a risk, when this operation is repeated, of damaging the rail members and the supporting posts. H

One of the objects of the invention is to obviate these disadvantages, permitting the construction of a disassemblable fence made of plastics materialjwhich has sufficient resistance to shock and with component elements which are of a light weight and the assembly of which, for constructing the fence or for the disassembly of the fence, involves a minimum amount of labor.

Another object of the invention is to permit the construction of a disassemblable fence made of plastics material adapted to allow the parts of which the fence proper is composed to be modified in inclination if desired, when the fence is mounted on a piece of land which is sloped to some extent, or for a decorative purpose.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS These and other objects of the invention will become more apparent to those skilled in the art by reference to the following detailed description when viewed in light of the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a vertical sectional view on the line II of FIG. 2 of a'supporting post carrying two rail members.

FIG. 2 shows a fragmentary front view of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows a detail, in section, and drawn to a larger scale, showing the method of assembling the component parts of the fence in a detachable manner on a supporting post.

FIG. 4 shows a view of details of a strip for positioning a connecting element on a supporting post.

FIG. 5 is a view in horizontal section taken on the line V--V of FIG. 2. I

FIG. 6 is a view in horizontal section similar to FIG. 5 showing a corner post.

1 of slope.

ment.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary view in perspective showing a fence constructed according to the invention.

FIG. Sis a fragmentary view showing the fence mounted on a plot of land which hasa certain amount DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 shows a supporting post a part of which is broken away. The supporting post is constituted by a ho]- low member 1, which is substantially square in crosssection so that it has four walls. In the illustrated embodiment each of the walls is provided along its internal face and over its entire height with a recess or housing 2 and with a longitudinal slot 3 extending between the external and internal faces of the wall. The post is mounted on an anchoring piece 5 of conventional type which is anchored in a concrete foundation.

In one of the housings 2 there is engaged for each rail member 12 to be carried thereby a positioning strip 6 made of plastics material (FIG. 4). Each strip 6 is provided with threaded holes 8 and at its central portion with a projection 7, which when the strip is engaged, is guided in the slot 3 associated with the respective housing 2. The projection 7 allows the detachable positioning 'of connecting elements 9 constituted by small plates of plastics material provided-"with beads or relief portions 10 designed to cooperate with grooves or slots 1 1 provided in long rail members 12 of plastics material constituting the fence proper which is thus forrhedby latching of the rail members 12 on the spacer elemen 9.

Each connecting element 9 comprises at its central portion a hole 9a (FIG. 2) in which engages, when'the fence is assembled, the projection 7 of a positioning strip 6 constituting the pivoting axis of the connecting element 9 which comprises at equal distance from the hole 9a, and thus from the pivot pin formed by the projection 7, two arcuate slots'l3 (see FIG. 2) through which may pass screws 14 for the detachable fixing and locking of the connection element 9 on the respective positioning strip 6. The distance of the threaded holes 8 from the projection 7 is the same as the distance of the arcuate slots 13 from the hole 9a so that when the projection 7 extends through the hole 9a each arcuate slot 13 is in alignment with one of the threaded holes 8. These slots 13 make it possible to adjust, by means of the screws 14, the angular position of the connection element 9 on the strip 6 and consequently on the supporting post and to modify optionally the position of the rail members 12 constituting the fence proper relative to the horizontal when the fence is mounted on a piece of land which has a certain amount of slope (FIG. 8).

Decorative strips 15 made of plastics material (FIGS.

2, 5 and 6) cut to the desired length before the assem- Each supporting post may be provided at its upper end with a cap 16.

FIG. 9 shows a modified constructional form wherein the connecting elements 9 are of the same length as the rail members 12 in order to give the fence improved strength;

FIG. 10 shows in elevation a rail member 12 mounted on a supporting post of low height, and lined with a reflecting band 17.

With reference now to FIG. 1 1 it will be seen that the reflecting band 17 is held detachably by strips 18 provided with lips 19 and comprising relief portions 20 engaging by self-locking in grooves or slots 21 formed on the external face of the rail member 12.

The rail members 12 constituting the fence proper which may be of considerable length and also those which are provided with the reflecting band 17 may be provided at each end with plugs 22 of plastics material (FIGS. 5 and 6).

This face can be assembled quickly on a flat piece of ground or a piece of ground having a certain amount of slope, and the spacing and the number of the rail members 12 constituting this fence can be modified by simple displacement in the housings 2 of the positioning strips 6 and consequently the connecting elements 9 associated therewith relative to the supporting posts 1, which can be brought due to the shape of the slots 13, by simple pivoting movement into a position allowing the rail members 12 to be situated parallel to the slope of the land on which the fence is set up, and locked in this position by means of the screws 14.

One example of connection of a rail member 12 to the post will now be described.

A' positioning strip 6 is inserted from above into a housing 2 of the hollow member I, mounted on an end piece 5, so that its projection 7 extends through the slot 3 of the housing 2. A connecting element 9 is positioned onto the positioning strip so that the projection 7 extends through the hole 9a in the element. Screws 14 are inserted through the arcuate slots 13 of the element 90 into the threaded holes 8 in the positioning strip 6 and are tightened. Before full tightening of the screws the angular position of the element 9 is adjusted as required. A rail member is then slipped onto the element 9. The parts of the slot through which extends the projection 7 are above and below the element 9 covered with decorative strips cut to a suitable length. Also the remaining slots 3 are covered by elements 15. Finally a cap 16 is positioned on top of the member 1.

In a general manner, while there has been disclosed effective and efficient embodiments of the invention, it

should be well understood that the invention is not limited to such embodiments as there might be changes made in the arrangement, disposition, and form of the parts without departing from the principle of the present invention as comprehended within the scope of the accompanying claims.

I claim:

1. An assembly for the construction of a fence comprising,

a plurality of posts adapted to be mounted in a generally vertical position with respect to a ground surface, each of said posts having a longitudinal groove extending along one surface thereof and said grooves each having a bottom formed interiorly of said post, a pair of sides extending outwardly from said bottom and an outer panel formed of a pair of abutment edges extending from said sides toward one another to form a slot therebetween narrower than the space between said sides,

a bracket slidably received in said. groove and having a width greater than the width of said slot,

a pin extending outwardly from said bracket through said slot,

a connecting element having an aperture formed therein and said aperture receiving said pin, said connecting element formed with first and second arcuate openings, respectively, on either side of said aperture,

rail-engaging means on that side of said connecting element remote from its post,

first and second releasable fastening means extending, respectively, through said arcuate openings, through said bracket, and into said bottom surface,

an elongated rail member extending between said posts and formed with second means interengaging with said rail-engaging means 'of said connecting element,

whereby prior to tightening said fastening means,

said connecting element can be longitudinally located with respect to its post by sliding said bracket in said groove and angularly located by pivoting about said pin.

2. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said fastening means are screws.

3. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said rail-engaging means are a pair of flanges having protruding outer ends and said second engaging means are grooves formed in said rail. 

1. An assembly for the construction of a fence comprising, a plurality of posts adapted to be mounted in a generally vertical position with respect to a ground surface, each of said posts having a longitudinal groove extending along one surface thereof and said grooves each having a bottom formed interiorly of said post, a pair of sides extending outwardly from said bottom and an outer panel formed of a pair of abutment edges extending from said sides toward one another to form a slot therebetween narrower than the space between said sides, a bracket slidably received in said groove and having a width greater than the width of said slot, a pin extending outwardly from said bracket through said slot, a connecting element having an aperture formed therein and said aperture receiving said pin, said connecting element formed with first and second arcuate openings, respectively, on either side of said aperture, rail-engaging means on that side of said connecting element remote from its post, first and second releasable fastening means extending, respectively, through said arcuate openings, through said bracket, and into said bottom surface, an elongated rail member extending between said posts and formed with second means interengaging with said rail-engaging means of said connecting element, whEreby prior to tightening said fastening means, said connecting element can be longitudinally located with respect to its post by sliding said bracket in said groove and angularly located by pivoting about said pin.
 2. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said fastening means are screws.
 3. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said rail-engaging means are a pair of flanges having protruding outer ends and said second engaging means are grooves formed in said rail. 